Even if they have standard routines that they accept during the school year, during the holidays, it is likely that even the most well-structured families will let their schedules slip a little.

While a certain degree of variation is normal, changing it up too much can adversely affect everyone’s sleeping habits and overall stress levels. In order to keep the holidays as free from stress as possible, it is necessary to have some sort of morning routine — even a simple one — in order to keep yourself and the rest of your family on track. Here are some tips to help you reduce stress and create a routine everybody will follow without issues.

The difficulty of establishing a routine depends on your living situation. If you have young children, it may be tricky to establish a routine in the first place; if you have teenagers, it becomes tough to enforce the routine. In either case, the best way to start forming a morning routine for your entire family is by beginning with yourself. Younger children tend to learn by imitating what they see their parents do (and even teenagers will also imitate those they look up to, even if they are less likely to admit it). By living out your routine even before you start to bring your family into it, you will make it more likely that the whole family will stick to the routine for the entirety of the holidays. As a bonus, you will begin to feel better.

Many people include chores in their morning routines — that can be a great way to start the day off with a stress reduction technique. Clutter adds to stress, whether it is due to dirty dishes, laundry that needs to be put away, or a general mess. One easy way you can reduce clutter in your home in the mornings is by taking the time to organize your closet. Go through your things, one by one, and get rid of any articles of clothing you have not worn in the past year. Separate your summer clothes and your winter clothes — put the inactive set of clothing in storage, or add a second rod to double the amount of space you have in your closet. You can also add shelves to use your closet space as a place to organize clutter from the rest of the house.

The trick, then, becomes to create a routine that will work for every member of your family. The first step to a morning routine is to wake up at a decent hour. Remember that children and teenagers need more sleep than adults, though the exact amount varies depending on their age and their personal sleep cycles. Adults generally need between seven to eight hours.

The best way to wake up is to wake up naturally at the end of your sleep cycle, as opposed to the sound of an alarm clock, and the most effective way to ensure you get an adequate amount of sleep is to count backward from your ideal wake-up time. Getting enough sleep will help your family manage their stress, which will, in turn, reduce the overall stress of the family.

Routines during the holidays are valuable in that they help keep families on track to manage stress while enjoying each other’s company. To get your family following a particular rhythm, start following it yourself, then introduce it to your children. Take the opportunity to get some cleaning done in the mornings so that your home can be a restful space for the rest of the day.

For more from Daniel, AKA DadSolo, check out his blog.